


Oasis

by Jackalope80



Category: The A-Team (2010)
Genre: Fluff, Hot Tub, M/M, Scars, Spa Treatments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:21:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28137630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackalope80/pseuds/Jackalope80
Summary: Face takes Murdock on his scariest mission yet: the day spa.
Relationships: H. M. "Howling Mad" Murdock/Templeton "Faceman" Peck
Comments: 13
Kudos: 24
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Oasis

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emma_Oz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma_Oz/gifts).



“Face, where are we going? You know I don’t like surprises.”

“I have literally never met anyone who liked surprises more than you, Murdock,” Face said, shaking his head fondly as he opened the door to the nondescript brick building on the outskirts of LA, stepping to the side and gesturing at the doorway. “After you.”

Murdock looked at Face uncertainly for a moment before stepping inside. “OK, but like, I want to be on the giving end of surprises, not the receiving end, you know?”

“Tough,” laughed Face, going inside after Murdock and letting the door close behind him. Brass chimes tinkled and Face closed his eyes as he inhaled the scent of sandalwood and eucalyptus. He could almost feel his pores opening and his sinuses clearing out. The room was tastefully decorated with succulents and neutral-toned nature prints.

“Can I help you?” asked the young woman at the reception desk. She wore a dark wraparound linen dress, and her long blonde hair was braided demurely down her back.  
“We have an appointment at one,” said Face smoothly stepping forward and making sure to smile at her with all his dimples. She looked a little bit vegan for his tastes, but you could never tell; some of the most wholesome women he’d ever met were absolute freaks in the bedroom. But maybe that was him, he thought, bringing out the wildcats in them. He felt himself blushing at the idea, and he turned to see Murdock peering at him curiously.

“Mister… Templeton?” the young woman asked, glancing up at Face and smiling placidly. Maybe his dimples were out of shape. He nodded, and she reached behind the counter and produced two huge fluffy white robes, handing them to Face and Murdock.

“You’re all set for our three-hour pampering package. Men’s changing rooms are just down that hall, second door on the right. Once you’re changed and showered, you’ll go on through the far door to the hot tub. Sandals are in the changing room as well. Let me know if you need anything!” With that, the young woman gestured toward the brightly lit hallway. Face gave her a nod and started down the hall, Murdock trailing after him.

“Three HOURS, Face?” asked Murdock in a loud stage whisper.

“I know, it’s not long enough,” Face said sympathetically, again opening the door to let Murdock go ahead of him into the changing room, a gleaming expanse of white tile lit with warm recessed golden lights. “But they were booked up this morning and we have to fly to Langley tomorrow, so it was this or nothing.”

Murdock stared around the room in bewilderment. “What are we gonna do here for three hours? And what am I supposed to do with this?” he asked, holding up the luxurious white robe as if it was a large and unusually smelly fish.

Face took the robe from him gently and opened it up. “You put it on. After you shower, of course,” he added, gesturing at the row of chrome shower heads along the left-hand wall. 

“I’m - I’m doing what?” Murdock asked again. Face handed him the robe and took him gently by both shoulders, pointing him toward the row of changing stalls with linen curtains modestly covering each entrance. All six were open. “In you get,” Face said with a smile. He’d known Murdock would be out of his element at the day spa, to put it mildly. But he hadn’t quite planned for this level of bewilderment and he found it frankly adorable. If he’d known Murdock would be so hilariously confused by softness and comfort, he’d have brought him here long ago.

“Everything OK in there?” Face asked a few minutes later, after he’d changed into his robe and flip flops and was headed for the shower. 

“Face, I don’t know how to tell you this,” began Murdock.

“I know about the scar on your shoulder,” Face said, turning on the shower and waiting for the steam to rise before stepping under the spray.

“What? How do you know about that?” asked Murdock. “No, wait, I don’t care how you know. Face, I didn’t bring any swim trunks.”

“You didn’t what?” Face asked, trying to smother his laughter.

“I’m sorry!” Murdock said, mistaking Face’s tone. “I didn’t know where we were going!”

“Murdock, I didn’t bring any swim trunks either!” Face shouted over the spray of the shower. He was nearly weeping with laughter. 

“What?” said Murdock. The linen curtain billowed out as if he was having a wrestling match in the changing stall. Finally he flung the curtain open and stepped out, resplendent in his blinding white robe. “Then what are you - oh god, oh god, I’m sorry,” he said, turning to one side in embarrassment.

“Murdock, it’s OK!” laughed Face. He turned the water off and grabbed a towel off the stack next to the shower. “I won’t watch while you shower if you don’t want me to. I promise. And I don’t care if you see me naked. You helped Hannibal dig a bullet out of my ass once. I think you’ve seen everything I have to offer.” Without waiting for Murdock to respond, Face took his own robe back from the hook and wrapped it around his body, turning to look away from the showers as he tied the belt in a knot. “See? I won’t look,” he said. “Knock yourself out.”

Murdock didn’t respond, but Face heard one of the showers turn on, so he smiled to himself and walked over to one of the fogged mirrors to finger-comb his hair while he waited. He rubbed the glass with the sleeve of his robe and turned his head from one side to the other, moving each lock where he wanted it - and then he accidentally caught a glimpse in the mirror of Murdock’s backside, and he jumped away as if he’d been scalded. Murdock had been facing away from him so he hadn’t caught Face peeping at him, but in spite of this - or maybe because of it - Face felt himself blushing up to his ears. 

Before Face could figure out where to look or what to do with his hands, Murdock had padded up next to him in his flip flops and robe. “OK, where to now?” he asked, looking around the room twitchily, as if he was casing it for points of egress. Face smiled at the towel Murdock wore on his head. 

“This way,” he said, gesturing at the pebbled glass door at the far end of the room. “We’re going to the hot tub first.” He held the door for Murdock again - it was becoming a habit already, seemingly, and Murdock glanced at him quizzically but preceded him through the door without protest.

“Hot tub, OK,” said Murdock as they entered the room. This one was tiled in a grayish blue, with wooden blinds covering the windows and an invigorating scent of orange and peppermint. The hot tub stood on a raised wooden platform against the far wall, with wooden steps leading up the top. Its surface was completely still. Face and Murdock were the only people in the room. “What exactly does this uh, involve?” asked Murdock nervously.

“I’ll show you,” said Face, climbing the wooden steps to the platform forming a semicircle around the top of the hot tub. He took off his robe, folding it neatly and laying it on the platform, and slid into the water with a sigh. After a suitable moment of appreciation, he looked to his left and turned the dial on the side of the hot tub. With a surprisingly loud burbling noise, bubbles billowed into the tub from all angles. Face sighed again and sank more deeply into the tub.

“That’s it. That’s what this involves,” he said with a grin. 

Murdock still looked flummoxed. “Shall I wait - I mean, it looks kind of small for two - “

“Murdock, please come join me,” said Face, trying to stifle another laugh. He truly hadn’t planned to take Murdock so thoroughly out of his element - he’d just thought the pilot could use some pampering. The man had probably not given a thought to his own comfort, let alone pleasure, since he was in grade school. Face didn’t want to laugh at Murdock’s unease, but there was something oddly endearing about watching someone who did barrel rolls in a helicopter as easily as making a tuna sandwich get flustered by a hot tub.

Murdock marched up the steps of the tub, removed his robe, and folded it so precisely Face could swear it had hospital corners. Then he sat down and swung both legs over the side of the hot tub before lowering himself in. His back was still ramrod straight, Face noticed, but he forced himself to give Murdock a moment to relax on his own. 

“This is quite nice, Face,” Murdock finally admitted, patting the bubbling surface of the water gingerly.

“I think that’s the longest you’ve ever been quiet in the whole time I’ve known you,” said Face with a grin. 

“It’s a lot to take in,” said Murdock, unfazed, as he looked around the room in wonder. “You do this a lot, Face?”

“Every time I’m in town, if I can. I like to make time to slow down a little. I mean, don’t get me wrong, nothing makes me feel more alive than going on a mission. But everything just goes by so fast when we’re making plans, building shit, getting dropped out of airplanes with no parachutes - I mean, it goes really fast when we’re getting dropped out of airplanes.” Murdock laughed, and Face pretended not to notice when he relaxed his posture a fraction of an inch.

“I guess it’s pretty obvious I’ve never been anywhere like this,” Murdock said bashfully.

“I never would have guessed,” Face said with a wink. “You know, Murdock, I know about that scar on your shoulder, but I don’t know how you got it,” he said, gesturing to the deep gouge running down the meat of Murdock’s deltoid muscle and curling around his upper arm. 

Murdock gazed across the room as his brow knitted slightly; his posture didn’t stiffen but he went very still, Face noticed. After a long pause, Face added softly, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Murdock finally looked at him. “Oh, it’s OK. I don’t mind telling you, Face. I was just thinking about the dumb situations you get into when you’re a kid and you think you’re invincible. I thought this was nothing at the time. I climbed up a statue outside my high school. Had to be at least twenty feet tall, although I didn’t make it all the way to the top. Fell off and cut my arm open on a pointy doohickey sticking out of the sides. It was bronze, some kind of explorer guy pointing to the promised land or something. Sliced me right open.”

“Sounds like a pretty good prank,” said Face gently.

“It was no prank. It was one of the first times I ever pretended to be crazy,” Murdock said. He sounded almost dazed, as if he was talking about someone else.

“What made you decide to do that? Pretend to be crazy?” asked Face. He had no idea where this was going, but it was oddly thrilling to have Murdock confide in him. For all he’d known about   
Murdock before today, he’d sprung fully formed out of a flying helicopter at age eighteen.

“It’s going to sound crazy - and I guess that’s the point - but at the time it seemed easier than being myself. Is that a cliche? I feel like that’s what comedians say when someone asks them why they smeared dirt in their hair or something.”

Face laughed. “Maybe. But it makes sense to me. You can hide when people think you’re crazy. I’ve seen you do it. It’s like hiding in plain sight, the same reason we disguise ourselves as mechanics or waiters or garbagemen.”

Murdock shuddered. “Don’t remind me about that one. I smelled like trash for a week.”

“I came straight here afterward,” reminisced Face. “They do this thing where they scrape you off with bamboo -- anyway, the point is, you pretending to be crazy is just another disguise. I’ve watched you slide in and out of it more times than I can count. It’s like a comfortable old shirt, isn’t it?”

Murdock peered at Face curiously. “How did you know that?”

“I’m not as dumb as I look,” said Face. He felt himself blushing again and looked away, suddenly shy about admitting how much attention he paid to Murdock. They’d been to hell and back together, but suddenly Face couldn’t remember the last time he and Murdock had been alone together, and certainly not like this, with only a cubic foot of bubbly water separating them.

“You’ve never looked dumb to me,” said Murdock, and Face glanced up at him before he could stop himself. The look in Murdock’s eyes was so nakedly open that Face reached over to touch the other man’s shoulder before he even realized what he was doing. Murdock glanced down in surprise, and for a brief moment Face was afraid he was going to pull away in disgust.   
Instead Murdock scooted closer to him, and Face had a split second to wonder what was going to happen before Murdock leaned in and kissed him, tentatively, on the lips. For a moment it was like they were suspended in time, their lips pressed together softly, their breathing loud in Face’s ears even over the burbling water. Then his hands were moving up, cradling Murdock’s jaw, his thumb moving over the stubble just under his ear, and they were both leaning harder into the kiss, their mouths opening, their tongues sliding against each other. Face could feel Murdock’s hands on his back, and he was suddenly very aware that they were both naked.

Murdock sighed against his mouth and Face was overcome with tenderness. He pulled back just enough to let their foreheads rest together. They were both breathing hard, as if they’d just run twenty laps in the desert sun. 

Face brushed his thumb over Murdock’s cheekbone. “I didn’t actually plan this, just so you know.”

Murdock let out a ragged sigh that might have also been a laugh. One of his hands rested flat on Face’s chest, and Face covered it with his own. “I wouldn’t be mad about it if you had. I like the idea of someone working this hard to seduce me.”

“Oh, I haven’t begun to seduce you yet,” teased Face, leaning in and nipping Murdock playfully on the earlobe. “Just wait until we get to the sauna.”


End file.
